Epigenetics:
Genes load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.
Most of us have heard this saying before. As well as the saying: ‘ it’s just my genes, I can’t do anything about it’. Disease gets seen as walking the plank off the ship and into the ocean, or in this case toward a disease that runs in the family. But what if you can postpone or even prevent this from happening? What if you actually have more control over your health than you thought?
Disclaimer: before we go into gene expression and how we may prevent illness, it is important to remember that this post is for educational purposes only. Please contact a healthcare provider if you are currently struggling with your health or are taking medication.
Gene expression determines cell function
For you to truly understand how this process works, because by understanding we can actually belief in it, I will explain it very briefly so we can than move on to the more fun part: The how to. To give a simple and short explanation to a much more complex mechanism: The expression of a gene is what defines the functioning of the cell, it defines what the cell will do and how it will do it. To give a few examples:
Gene expression: genes produce proteines that have an effect on the body, and determine the functioning of a specific cell in the body. For example:
| Natura | Discription | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Enzymes | Enzymes are responsible for numerous chemical reactions in the body | Amylase |
| Anti-Bodies | Antibodies bind to foreign cells or invaders and thus help the immune system | Immunolglobulines |
| Messengers | Certain types of hormones give instructions to other cells | Growth hormone |
| Cell Transport Proteins | These types of proteins bind to smaller atoms to be transported and absorbed into another cell or tissue | Ferritine |
Now that you know a little about genes and what role they play in our bodies, we can look at Epigenetics. The study ‘of how behaviors and environmental factors cause changes that affect how genes work without altering the underlying DNA sequence’. Also known as the study of how our lifestyle can impact our genes and thus our longterm health.
When we are born we are given a specific set of genes from our parents. This blueprint is something we cannot change or eradicate. What we can do, is prevent certain genes from activating and forming a disease within our bodies.
A personal cookbook
Look at your genes as a cookbook, every gene contains a recipe with a certain protein. This protein is necessary to cook up a certain atom that influences your hair colour, muscle tissue and even our susceptibility for different types of diseases. We can use this recipe as an example, because just one ingredient does not make it a delicious dish. There are other ingredients needed to make a good curry, and even which type of curry paste or vegetable you add into the mix will have an effect on the dish.
Epigenetics factors have an effect on which genes get used and which ones get activated. Which means our lifestyle surrounding our genes has an impact on our health. So I hope you understand that yes we cannot throw out the genes we were given, but we can work with them. Instead of accepting that just because some family members got sick, you will have some impending doom waiting for you as well. This time you can take the reins of your health, and steer your body in the direction of where you want to go.
There has even been a study done on cats with tuberculose, to see if lifestyle could have an effect on the illness and even on their fertility and next generation. And while we are no cats, it is interesting to see that different foods even had an impact on the kittens that were born afterwards. The video is rather old but recommend you to watch:
How to:
Now onto the fun part. How do we stop certain genes from activating? How do we become a healthier version and work on our longterm health? We do that by giving our cells what it needs. In my continuous study of orthomocular nutrition, otherwise known as nutrition for the cells, we know that to improve our health, we need to make sure our cells get all the nutrients they need. So that they can function, digest, detox and work to their best ability.
By focusing on a lifestyle filled with:
- Movement that challenges you
- Periods of rest and creativity
- A diet filled with mostly plants, enough proteins (animal protein as well as plant protein)
- 2 table spoons of fat daily
- Seaweeds and/or seeds for more minerals
- 1,5 to 2 liters of water will give your cells most of what they need.
This article of epigenetics and all other information on this website is presented for educational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment, or advice of a qualified, licensed medical professional. The facts presented in this article or on the website are offered as information only, not medical advice, and in no way should anyone infer that we are practicing medicine. Seek the advice of a medical professional for proper application of this material to any specific situation.
If you want my help or have any questions I encourage you to read my other blogs, or email me on: info@growtruehealth.com for any questions. Thank you for reading this blog, and please share it with anyone who can benefit from this information.
